The Pink Promise Has Sold For Nearly $32 Million

14.93 Carat Pink Diamond, The Pink Promise

Christie’s Magnificent Jewels auction was held on November 28th in Hong Kong.

The Stand out diamond was the incredibly rare 14.93 carat Fancy Vivid  Pink Diamond with a VVS1 Clarity.

The Vivid Pink Diamond described by Christie’s as the “Picasso of the Pink Diamond world,” sold for an incredible $31,861,000  approximately $2.13 million per carat.

Only one in every Thousand diamonds mined is classified as Fancy Colour.

The Pink Promise Diamond is Fancy Vivid which is the highest possible colour grade for Fancy Colour Diamond.

Prince Harry Designs Meghan Markle’s Engagement Ring

Meghan Markle shows off her wedding ring with Prince Harry

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle confirmed after 16 months of dating that they are engaged to be married.

Set in yellow gold the three stones diamond ring features the central stone from Botswana Southern Africa, a country Prince Harry has visited many times over his life, and where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have spent time together.

The two side stones come from the personal collection of the Prince’s late mother Diana Princess of Wales.

Letšeng Finds Seventh Big Diamond of the Year

Gem Diamonds Letseng 202 carat rough diamond

Diamond Miner Gem Diamonds has found a 202 carat rough diamond at its  Letšeng mine in Lesotho, Sothern Africa. The rough diamond is the latest of seven recovered over 100 carats this year.

The D colour type IIa diamond was recovered when they mine switched to the higher grade K6 section of the main pipe earlier this year.

The Letšeng mine is one of the highest diamond deposits by value in the world with the an average price of $2,397 per carat for the July tender.

Debmarine Splashes $142M on Diamond Ship

Debmarine Splashes $142M on Diamond Ship

De Beers is planning to add the world’s largest custom built diamond mining vessel to its fleet at a cost of $142 million.

The ship will be the sixth belonging to Debmarine Namibia, a 50/50 joint venture between the miner and the Republic of Namibia, De Beers said Tuesday. Expected to begin operations in 2021, it will enhance the company’s ability to recover diamonds off the southern African country’s Atlantic coast, the rough producer added.

“There is a great amount of potential in Namibia’s marine diamond deposits, and this new vessel will support our strategy to continue to grow our offshore operations,” said De Beers CEO Bruce Cleaver.

Earlier this year, De Beers launched the MV SS Nujoma, the world’s largest diamond sampling and exploration vessel. Acquiring the new ship will help the company capitalize on that vessel’s work, and support the long-term future of Namibia’s diamond sector, Cleaver added.

Kleven Verft, a Norwegian ship-building company that constructed the Nujoma, will also build the new vessel, and has signed a memorandum of understanding with De Beers.

Source: Diamonds.net

Diamond Producers Association launches India operations

Diamond Producers Association

The Diamond Producers Association announced the launch of their operations in the country to build confidence among consumers.

India polishes 85 90 percent of the diamonds today accounts for only seven  percent of the global polished diamond consumption. DPA believe this is a huge opportunity to build the India market by promoting the integrity and reputation of diamonds and ensuring the sustainability of the industry.

DPA has reached out to 3,000 retailers and will offer training and education in diamonds.  DPA will expand training across the country.

The DPA is an alliance between ALROSA, De Beers, Dominion Diamond, Gem Diamonds, Lucara Diamond, Petra Diamonds and Rio Tinto. These are the leading diamond miners globally. Which together produce over 75 percent of the world’s rough diamond production.

DPA is also working with the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council to build trade relationships and best trade practices.

 

Rough Trade Cautious at $455M De Beers Sale

De_Beers_Mining

Dealers reported a difficult but stable rough market as De Beers’ November sight closed with a value of $455 million — 4% lower than the same period a year ago.

The rough market improved slightly from the October sight, which was the smallest sale of the year as Indian manufacturing slowed for Diwali. However, sightholders still noted weak profitability on De Beers goods during November, with premiums on the secondary market close to zero.

Most boxes of diamonds from last week’s sight commanded prices on the dealer market that did not cover the costs of doing deals, explained Dudu Harari of diamond broker Bluedax in a report on the sight.

Read More: diamonds.net

$33.8 Million For The 163 Carat Flawless Diamond At Geneva Auction

163ct De Grisogono Emerald Shape Diamond

The largest diamond offered at an auction went under the hammer in Geneva Tuesday setting  a world record for a diamond of its shape.

The  D colour 11A type flawless diamond was Polished from a 404 carat rough diamond which was recovered in February 2016 in the Lulo mine in Angola.

The 163.41 carat called The Art of Grisogono, sold for $33.8 million, after taxes and commissions, at the Christie’s autumn jewellery auction.

Synthetic Diamond Fraudulently Inscribed To Match Natural Diamond Report

Fake GIA laser on synthetic diamond

Improvements in diamond growth technology and methods have led to a noticeable increase in colorless synthetic gem diamonds in recent years. Concerns in the diamond industry focus on laboratory-grown diamonds not being properly disclosed or even being sold as natural stones. Through careful examination and analysis, gemological laboratories can separate natural from synthetic diamonds. Occasionally, however, fraud is involved in attempting to conceal a gem’s identity. The Carlsbad laboratory witnessed such an attempt.

On this occasion, a round brilliant cut (figure 1, left) was submitted for an updated diamond grading report. Its girdle was inscribed with an actual GIA report number issued in 2015 (figure 1, right). The older report was for a natural, untreated diamond and contained the following grading information: 1.74 ct, round brilliant cut, D color, Excellent cut grade, and VVS1 clarity. Upon grading, the new submission was described as a 1.76 ct round brilliant cut with F color, Excellent cut grade, and VS1 clarity. Moreover, our screening processes determined that the newly submitted sample needed additional testing to determine its origin. This examination revealed it to be an HPHT-grown synthetic diamond. Synthetic cuboctahedral growth structure and phosphorescence were clearly visible in DiamondView imaging (figure 2).

DiamondView imaging of synthetic growth structure and blue fluorescence.

Figure 2. DiamondView imaging showed the synthetic growth structure and blue phosphorescence typical of HPHT-grown synthetic diamonds.

Aside from the observed discrepancies in weight (1.74 vs. 1.76 ct), color (D vs. F), and clarity (VVS1 vs. VS1), FTIR spectra clearly showed that these were not the same diamond. The natural diamond from the original report was type Ia with aggregated nitrogen impurities, while the new one was type IIb with boron impurities (figure 3). Careful examination of the report number inscribed on the synthetic diamond revealed a font different from the one used by GIA, proving that it was not an authentic inscription.

FTIR absorption spectra of natural and synthetic diamond.

Figure 3. FTIR absorption spectra revealed that the synthetic diamond was type IIb, whereas the fraudulently inscribed report number referred to a natural type Ia diamond. The spectra are offset for clarity.

While most synthetic diamonds that come to the laboratory are properly disclosed, some are submitted out of concern that a stone presented as natural might be synthetic. Rarely do we encounter the type of blatant fraud described here. It is important for the industry and public to exercise caution, because these types of misleading practices do occur. We believe the submitting client noticed inconsistencies with the GIA report information and sent it to the lab for an updated report. If any doubt exists or some aspect of a diamond (such as an inscription) seems odd, the stone should be sent to a gemological laboratory for verification.

Source: GIA Education

Another Massive Diamond Recovered

476 Carat Rough Diamond

Sierra Leone mining company has recovered a 476 carat rough diamond in the nation’s Kono at Meya.

The 476 Carat stone ranks as the fifth largest rough ever found in Sierra Leone.

Meya holds an exclusive diamond exploration license in the Kono district.

Meya also recovered rough diamonds weighing 27.93 carats and 19.70 carats at the same time.

The company’s announcement follows the discovery of the 709-carat Diamond in the Kono district in March.

The Rapaport Group will auction that diamond  believed to be the 14th-largest in history in New York on December 4.

 

Sierra Leone Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources Minkailu Mansaray with the 476-carat diamond.

CIBJO And The IDC Agree On Diamond Terminology

IDC International Diamond Council

The World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO) and the International Diamond Council (IDC) have decided to use the same terminology for describing diamonds, making it easier for consumers to understand grading.

CIBJO agreed to make amendments to its Diamond Book — a guide to grading standards and terminology — following requests by the IDC, an organization that works to ensure consistency in grading across the industry. The IDC’s language will now be “harmonized” with that of the Diamond Book, CIBJO said Tuesday.

“The true beneficiaries of this agreement are the diamond consumers, who will now be able to refer to a single set of rules for describing diamonds,” said CIBJO president Gaetano Cavalieri.

The two organizations finalized the agreement at the CIBJO Congress in Bangkok this week. The International Diamond Manufacturers Association (IDMA), one of the IDC’s founding bodies, has also endorsed the new Diamond Book.

IDC http://www.internationaldiamondcouncil.org

Source: diamonds.net